Supporters of OCU forcibly seize the UOC temple in Adamivka

Supporters of the OCU forcefully seized the Intercession Church (Pokrovsky Church) belonging to the UOC in the village of Adamivka, Khmelnytskyi Oblast, on September 24, 2023. This is reported by the press service of the Khmelnytskyi Eparchy of the UOC.

This happened despite the fact that the congregation of the Pokrovsky parish had not made a decision to switch to the OCU. They had repeatedly appealed to the Khmelnytskyi Regional Administration, the police, and even the President due to the actions of the raiders.

The UOC diocese reports that local officials are violating legislative norms regulating the activities of religious organizations, as well as recommendations from the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience (DESS).

According to the DESS clarifications regarding the procedure for religious communities when changing jurisdiction, if the registration authority receives a letter stating that the religious community is not changing its jurisdiction and that the meeting was attended mainly by non-members of the religious community, who do not meet the criteria for membership specified in its charter, the registration authority should request additional information from the applicant to confirm compliance with the legal procedures, particularly the requirements for membership. If information is received about a possible violation of the law, the registration authority should refer the information to the National Police of Ukraine for verification.

The diocese's statement emphasizes that "the actions of unauthorized individuals who were not members of the religious community but acted on its behalf, and the inaction of certain officials have led to the seizure of the Intercession Church in Adamivka and a gross violation of the rights of believers of the local religious community."

Despite the seizure of the Protection Church by OCU supporters, the religious community remains under the jurisdiction of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. They will continue their liturgical life in the village of Adamivka and protect their legitimate constitutional rights in court.

As previously reported by the UOJ, on July 2, 2023, participants in a fake "parish meeting" in Adamivka voted to transfer the Pokrovsky Church from the UOC's jurisdiction to the OCU. The rector and parishioners of the church were forced out of the village cultural center where the vote took place. The community reported the incident to the police and the Khmelnytskyi Regional Administration. However, administration officials re-registered the parish in favor of the OCU. In response, the faithful again appealed to the police and sought protection from the President.